Joint in timbers



Nov. 15, 1966 R. J. HOYL-E, JR 3,285,636

JOINT IN TIMBERS Filed June 4, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet l Iu-l INVENTOR.

05527 J. Hon: JR.

Nov. 15, 1966 R. J. HOYLE, JR 3,285,636

JOINT IN TIMBERS Filed June 4,1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Bauer J. Home J/a.

AT TY.5.

United States Patent 3,285,636 JOINT IN TIMBERS Robert J. Hoyle, Jr., Lewiston, Idaho, assignor to Potlatch Forests, Iuc., Lewiston, Idaho, a corporation of Delaware , Filed June 4, 1964, Ser. No. 372,636 6 Claims. (Cl. 287-.-20.92)

This invention relates to a novel joint for intersecting wooden timbers.

The present invention is concerned with a metal to metal joint for use in the construction of buildings and other structures manufactured of wooden timbers. The primary purpose of the. invention is to provide, a partially assembled joint that can be readily connected in the field, utilizing the strength of a metal joint, but retaining the insulating properties of the natural wood structure.

It is a first object of this invention to provide a joint including metal members that are to be joined together in the field, the metal members being preassembled in the respective timbers for ready usage when so desired.

Another object of this invention is to provide, a metal joint for wood timbers, wherein the metal elements in the final assembly are completely insulated by surrounding wood.

These and further objects will be evident from a study of the following disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred form of the invention. It is to be understood that this form of the invention is not intended to limit or restrict the scope of the invention which is set out in the claims following the detailed disclosure.

In the drawings: I

FIGURE 1 is an exploded elevation view showing the various elements involved in the joint structure;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation view of the completed joint;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 44 in FIGURE, 2.

The structure described below is generally applicable to any compression or tension joint adjacent Wooden timbers. A typical application would be in the support of roof beams by vertical columns or posts such as the building structure disclosedin the patent application to Robert H. Houck et al., Ser. No. 307,919, filed September 10, 1963. In this structure, which has been utilized in the drawings as a typical installation, a laminated roof beam is vertically supported near its outer end 'by means of an upright column 11. The top surface of the column 11 is a plane surface adjacent to a complementary plane surface 13 of the beam 10. In the final assembly the joint described below ties the end of roof beam 10 to the top of column 11 and insures the necessary vertical support of the roof beam 10.

The purpose of the joint shown in the drawings is to insure the necessary connection between the top end of the column 11 and the roof beam 10 supported thereon. The joint itself carries the weight of the roof beam 10 and also fixes the location of the beam 10 relative to the supporting column 11.

The structure of the joint is rather simple. A first relatively thick plane metal plate 14 having a straight bottom edge 15 is embedded partially within the top surface 12 of the column 11 by a preformed vertical slot 32 terminating in a relief slot formed by a saw kerf designated as 16 (FIGURE 1). The slot in the column 11 is preferably the thickness of the plate 14, and the plate 14 is partially embedded therein and secured to PatentedNov. 15, 1966 ice the column 11 by means of a suitable adhesive material applied along the abutting surfaces. The relief slot provided by the kert 16 allows the fabricator of the column 11 to apply lateral pressure to the column 11 so as to insure proper adhesive bonding between the side surfaces of the plate 14 and the abutting surfaces of the column 11. After securing of the plate 14 within the column 11, the lateral recesses that remain at the sides of the plate 14, due to its reduced width in relation to the width of the column 11, are filled with a wood filler material of conventional manufacture, having the general properties. of natural wood.

Embedded within the roof beam 10 by means of slots cut through the surface 13 are second and third metal plates 17 which might have a reduced thickness relative to the thickness of the single plate 14 embedded in a column 11. The plates 17 are entirely recessed within the beam 10, whereas the first plate 14 projects beyond the adjacent surface 12 of the column 11.

Plates 17 each have a first side edge 18 that is perpendicular to the top and bottom surfaces of the beam 10 and a second side edge 20 that is located in a vertical position in the final assembly. While these angles are not entirely critical, the preferred structure does insurev the most effective contact between the plates 17 and the beam 10 for transmission of lateral forces thereto. Again, the slot 31 which receives the plates 17 is provided with a relief kerf 21 at its upper side so that the plates 17' can be mounted within the larger slot formed through the beam 10 and secured to the beam 10 by means of adhesive applied along their outer plane surfaces. Slot 31 preferably continues to the end of beam 10. During the gluing operation, a plate having the thickness of the plate 14 is placed between the two plates 17 and pressure can then be applied laterally to insure proper bonding between the respective sides of plates 17 and the respective side surfaces of the slots in the roof beam 10. The kerf 21 allows for adequate compression of the wood members without damaging the structure.

As seen in FIGURE 1, the beam 10 is drilled transversely of the intended plates 17, forming a series of open apertures 22. Plates 17 are provided with apertures 24 in precisely the same relative locations as apertures 22. Likewise, plate 14 has a series of corresponding apertures 23. An end plug 32 and top and bottom filler plugs 33, 34, all made of wood, are provided to fill the remaining gaps in beam 10 and are each glued in place during pre-assembly of the beam 10.

The object of the invention is to provide a partially pre-assembled metal joint for wooden timbers. The plates 14'and 17 are pre-assembled in the respective roof beams 10 and columns 11. They are shipped to the job site in the pre-assembled condition to be joined to one another in the field. The remaining recessed areas ofthe timber left after placement of the plates 14. or 17 are filled with the wood filler material mentioned above. Thus, no metal portions of the plates 14 or 17 are exposed prior to assembly of the timbers, except for the lower edges of the plates 17 and the protruding portion of the plate 14.

To form the complete joint as shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, the protruding portion of the plate 14 is forced between the parallel spaced plates 17, aligning the apertures 23 with the pre-formed apertures 22 and 24 in the beam 10 and plates 17 respectively. After such alignment, short metal pins 25 are driven through the apertures 22, 23 and 24, the length of each pin 25 being less than the thickness of the roof beam 10. Pins 25 are preferably centered relative to the plates 14 and 17, as can be seen in FIGURES 3 and 4. After securing the plates 14 and 17 by means of the pins 25, the

remainder of the apertures 22 are also filled with a wood" filler material 26. Thus, in the final structure, there are no metal elements exposed to the exterior of the timber structure.

The joint described provides a strong metal to metal connection in wooden timbers, whereby forces can be directly transmitted through the metal members due to the adhesive bonding of the metal members to the respective timbers. The joint has strength properties not available in a normal metal joint that is exposed to the exterior. It is well known that metal connections soften or melt when subjected to extreme heat, as in the case of fire. In

'the present device, all of tthe metal parts are sufficiently covered by wood to insulate them from heat which might develop in a fire and which would destroy any exterior metal bond or coupling by thermo-decomposition of the wood or softening of the metal. The joint is safe for use in a heavy timber building. The usual wood-to-steel bonds can be factory made under controlled conditions. The joint described above can be assembled in the field using simple driven pins. All pin bearings are metal-tometal. The metal parts are insulated by the natural wood, which can be made flame proof, using modern coating and treating compositions.

The invention is particularly designed for the joint shown in the drawings, but is obviously applicable to many other joints wherein heavy beams or timbers of Wood must be securely fastened to one another. Therefore the illustrative description of the invention just given is not to define the limits of the invention, which are set out in the claims that follow.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. A joint in adjacent wooden timbers, comprising: a first metal plate embedded and secured in one timber and projecting outwardly from a surface thereof; a second metal plate embedded and secured in a second timber having a complementary surface adjacent to said surface of said one timber, said second metal plate being recessed beyond said complementary surface at a location adapted to be located directly adjacent to said first plate, said second timber being recessed adjacent said second plate so as to receive therein said first plate;

and means joining said plates adapted to fix said plates relative to one another after positioning said timbers with said complementary surfaces adjacent to one another.

2. A joint as defined in claim 1 wherein said last-named means comprises:

a plurality of rigid metal pins received within aligned apertures formed through said plates and said second timber, the length of each of said pins being less than the width of said second timber and each of said pins being centered relative to said plates;

the remaining portions of the apertures in said second timber outwardly of said pins being filled with a wood base filler material.

3. A joint as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second plates are held by adhesive applied to the respective surfaces of said first and second timber adjacent thereto.

4. A joint for wooden timbers having complementary adjacent surfaces, comprising: a first timber having formed thereon a first surface; a second timber having formed thereon a second sur- 5 face complementary to said first surface and adapted to be located adjacent to said first surface;

a first plane metal plate partially embedded and secured in said first timber and projecting outwardly therefrom through said first surface;

a second plane metal plate embedded and secured in said second timber at a location parallel and directly adjacent to the outwardly projected portion of said first plate when said first and second surfaces are adjacent to one another;

and means operatively connected to said first and second plates adapted to secure said plates to one another.

5. A joint as defined in claim 4 wherein a third plate is embedded in said second timber parallel to and spaced from said second plate by a distance equal to the thickness of said first plate, said second and third plates being separated by an open groove leading to said second surface, whereby said first plate can be received therebetween.

6. A joint in adjacent wooden timbers, comprising:

a first timber having formed thereon a first surface adapted to be located adjacent to a complementary surface of an intersecting timber, said first timber being provided with a first slot formed therein, open to said first surface; second timber having formed thereon a second surface complementary to said first surface and adapted to be located adjacent to said first surface, said second timber being provided with a second slot formed therein, open to said second surface; first plane metal plate secured to said first timber within said first slot and protruding therefrom beyond said first surface;

second and third parallel plane metal plates secured to said second timber within said second slot and separated from one another by a distance equal to the thickness of said first plate, whereby said first plate may be received between said second and third plates within said second slot when said first and second complementary surfaces are located adjacent to one another; v

and means embedded within said second timber operatively joined to said first, second and third plates adapted to fix their respective positions relative to one another.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

P. CAUN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A JOINT IN ADJACENT WOODEN TIMBERS, COMPRISING: A FIRST METAL PLATE EMBEDDED AND SECURED IN ONE TIMBER AND PROJECTING OUTWARDLY FROM A SURFACE THEREOF; A SECOND METAL PLATE EMBEDDED AND SECURED IN A SECOND TIMBER HAING A COMPLEMENTARY SURFACE ADJACENT TO SAID SURFACE OF SAID ONE TIMBER, SAID SECOND METAL PLATE BEING RECESSED BEYOND SAID COMPLEMENTARY SURFACE AT A LOCATION ADAPTED TO BE LOCATED DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO SAID FIRST PLATE, SAID SECOND TIMBER BEING RECESSED ADJACENT SAID SECOND PLATE SO AS TO RECEIVE THEREIN SAID FIRST PLATE; AND MEANS JOINING SAID PLATES ADAPTED TO FIX SAID PLATES RELATIVE TO ONE ANOTHER AFTER POSITIONING SAID TIMBERS 